magnatecsteve

All of my ML's shoot roundball, but they are all flintlocks with slow twist or smoothbores. Your twist is truthfully too fast for roundball, by the books. But...every gun is dirrerent, yours MIGHT shoot them OK. Your best bet would be with sabot or Maxi's. If you do tinker with roundball, go to the fabric store and look through their cotton section for some "Pillow ticking". It's the old fashioned stuff they made pillows from with the blue stripes. It has pretty tight weave and holds lube really well. Try to get some about 10 thousandths thick, if you have a micrometer. Thompson Center Bore Butter is an excellent lube, or a mix of Crisco and beeswax works well too, just takes some practice to get the mix right. Check you patches as you shoot them to see if they are being cut by the rifling too. If they cut the patch real bad, you will have to try a different patch or possibly lap the barrel. As far as hunting, I have killed my biggest buck to date with roundball, and he went down fast. The worst hit would be a hard quartering away. Roundballs have a tendancy to want to roll on a rib or especially the shuouler blade on hard quartering away shots.

I went to 3-Rivers a few weeks ago and got a new longbow. I went up there to shoot a couple of Woodland Hunters they had (Tomahawk Bows). I got there, shot one, really liked it, went to but it, then the guy told me he sold them both last night on the internet!! I was kinda ticked since I had called them twice, the last time the day before making the 2 1/2 hour drive to tell them that I was coming up the next morning to specifically shoot THAT bow. But they tried hard to fit me with something else. The guy came out with a Great Plains bow..the same maker that makes the Tomahawk Bows. It's a "bamboo" 66 inch reflex/deflex, with antler tip overlays. I was still ticked, but I got over it real quicklike after shooting that bow. I was amazed how quiet it was and no handshock. I shot cadar arrows, Beman Classics, and Carbon Express. I went with the Beman Classics. They fly great! I finally have the right longbow that I can feel confident going to the woods with this fall. Oh yeah....It's GONNA happen!! I'm going to have to get my Ross compound down and wipe the dust off of it!!. All October from now on is PRIMITIVE season for this fella....If any of you guys want a real challenge. take up traditional archery. It makes shooting a compound soooo easy after really developing your muscle groups, focus, and general understanding of arrow flight. If anything it is a great training tool. I'm HOOKED!! Oh yeah, I got Dale Karck to sign it too. If you haven't heard of him, someday I think you will. He's Tred Barta without all of the attitude....

Almost anything will work as filler. I have used feed sacks filled with shrink wrap, the factory I worked at changed rolls before they actually ran out and let me take them. They worked great. I have used old clothes and rags too, but they get heavy when wet. I have the best set-up now. There is a discount store near me that sells large coffee bean burlap sacks for 99 cents each, and I just happen to be the leadman at a foam packaging plant, and I can get all of the scrap foam I need. I can even get 1/2" plank foam.

SWEET looking bow Jim! I'm going to 3 Rivers this week to test shoot bows. I already called and they have two 55 pound Diamond series "Woodland Hunters" in stock. If I order one, they are backed up about 12 to 16 weeks!! Hope they don't sell before I get a chance to get up there and shoot them. I have a gut feeling I won't be disappointed and will probably take one home with me. I get to shoot any arrow combination they carry as well, so I can find the best shaft, probably going with either Carbon Express or Beman shafts. Let us know how the Widow shoots! Have fun!!

Congrats to the whole team!

So, 4 out of 6 scored so far. Buckslayer or Ozarkgal still hunting yet or season over? Wonder how we'll fare to the other teams, don't know if any team is batting 100% or not.

WAY TO GO Stick!! I bet you were really sweating it huh? Can't wait to see the pics! Congrats again! WOOOOHOOOO!!

magnatecsteves' bird (Cluck...Cluck...BOOM!!) http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/magnatecsteve/DSC_0033.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/magnatecsteve/beard-1.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/magnatecsteve/DSC_0038.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/magnatecsteve/DSC_0031.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/magnatecsteve/DSC_0025.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/magnatecsteve/lastscan.jpg

Congrats!! I have actually killed more big toms in the afternoon near roost trees than in the mornings. If you know the area well, it's almost foolproof! Congrats again!

I got my best bird to date this season on a day that I had to retreat to the truck twice due to severe storms and a tornado watch. I went back out after it settled down some. Don't expect too much gobbling in those conditions. This is when knowing the property you hunt pays off. I found some birds off in the CRP, and I KNEW without a doubt where they were going to roost. I set up near the roosting site and just waited them out. Finally they came in, I was in the perfect spot. He came in with two hens strutting and I finally killed him at 18 yards. So, on days when the weather won't cooperate, don't rely on calls, but rely on their patterns and be where they will eventually be going to.

Congrats man, way to help the team out!!

Congrats on the bird man!! Yup, it was a cold one this past winter so no doubt it was hard on the birds. Way to be patient and hangin' in there! So...who's all still in the game yet??

The smarter bucks hold up in the woods and usually don't expose themselves in open fields till dark, so I would definately set up in the woods.

Great bird Fullfan! Congrats!!

Here's a pic http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y157/magnatecsteve/DSC_0025.jpg

Huh...learn something new every day!

Sounds good..bout what time?

Sounds good..bout what time?

Very nice buck! Congrats!

That's great! Congrats to your son and you Dad! Can't wait till my boy is old enough!

Awesome story and bird!! Huge congrats, you earned that bird for sure!

Awesome!! Sounds like the picture perfect hunt!! Great job.

Got my best bird this past thursday. I didn't get out in the morning, had an early meeting at work. I got to the woods a little after 2:00..but the weather was starting to turn and there was a tornado watch out. I started working slowly sitting and calling. I got a few responses from some hens, then finally a tom gobbled once far off. I started to close in, but the winds picked up and the thunder was getting real close. It was looking ugly so I retreated to the truck for a while. I cruised the backroads for a while and seen alot of birds still in the fields. The weather broke somewhat so I headed back out. Got about half way back to where I was at before, then I could hear the fire dept siren going off and a nasty looking patch of black clouds were approaching real quicklike, so I headed back to the truck...real quick like!! After that passed, the sun broke out and was hotter then heck. I was already soaked from the rain, plus with a rain suit on...I was smelling a bit ripe!! Anyhoo, I set up on the freshly mowed gasline for a while...nothing. This was later in the afternoon by now. I finally got up and made my way to the top of the hill overlooking the CRP field. I saw a group of birds with at least two good toms. So, I made my way to a group of large pines in the oak woods that I call the Hilton. It's the prime hot spot for roosting. I got set up with a perfect tree. Large tree to my back, with a smaller tree in front of me with little branches all shooting out with leaves. I cleared some limbs out of the way and just waited. Finally, two hens came out of the CRP with a big tom tagging behind about 75 yards out and they were obviously coming in to roost. They milled around for a while with the tom strutting and spittin/drumming the whole time! That was awesome!! Finally they started coming closer and the tom just walked directly at me. He veered off to my right and I had a hole to shoot through the tree in front of me. I let out a couple of clucks to get him to stretch his ol' neck out, and I rolled him up!! I was so pumped! He weighed 27# 2oz...11 1/2" beard (one strand reaches 12")...1/18" spurs (super sharp!!).It was one of my most menorable hunts for sure.

Congrats on a great bird! Starke Co. bird? Got mine this past Thursday...27# 2oz....11 1/2" beard...1 1/8" spurs. Hey, I just moved about a mile from Castaways just off of Toto Rd on 550 East.Big white house on a hill in the woods with pond out front. You can see it from Toto rd on the north side. Stop on by if you want, can shoot bows or bring your fishin pole, got some 10" hybred bluegill that are a blast to catch! Congrats again!!

Congrats on a great bird! Starke Co bird? I got mine this past Thursday. 27# 2oz...11 1/2" beard...1 1/8" spurs. Hey, I just moved about a mile from Castaways, just off of Toto Rd on 550 East....big white house on hill in woods with pond out front. Stop on by if you get out...can shoot bows, or bring a pole and do some fishin, got some 10" hybred bluegills that are a blast to catch!! Congrats again!!